Unfortunately, TFG’ers, the introduction to this particular preview – which would have looked back on the last match week’s talking points – will open with our tribute to the late Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. As you all know, the man who delivered an unforgettable Premier League title to the unlikely city of Leicester, was named amongst those who were tragically killed in a helicopter crash after The Foxes’ last home game against West Ham. All of us here at ThatFootballGame send our prayers and thoughts to the Srivaddhanaprabha family, the fans and staff of Leicester City and anyone who has been affected by this awful occurrence.

Though it is easy to forget amidst this tragedy that there was a full round of Premier League fixtures played last weekend, the results of those matches did lead to some significant changes in our league table. It now reads as follows:

5th – Brilliant City (Steve Anderson )

4th – Your Mam’s Athletic (Glen Bowman)

3rd – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank (Maddy Camble)

2nd – Cowboys From Hell (Martyn Fisher)

1st – JOEBAKERSDOZENX1 – (Philip Taylor)

It should also be mentioned that our #PickOfTheWeek goes to Isla Shaw and John Middleton, who were correct in predicting Bournemouth’s victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

I must admit that events such as this one do put the significance of football into context – it seems futile when compared to what happened outside the King Power Stadium that night – but as I am sure the man himself would have wanted, both Leicester City and the rest of the footballing world must now look ahead to the coming weekend’s matches, where tributes will be paid to Vichai from all across the globe. May he rest in peace.

Leicester City themselves have confirmed that this Saturday’s visit to Cardiff City will take place, though the club has announced that the squad will be driven (as opposed to flown) to the Welsh capital. Though it will be the first time that these two sides will contest a Premier League fixture, perhaps The Foxes’ faithful can find some solace in the fact that they can cross the border hoping for a victory. Leicester are the only side so far this season to have scored in every league match, and with Cardiff’s defensive woes still being a concern, it seems likely that Claude Puel’s men can provide the East-Midlands outfit with some much-needed positivity.

Also this weekend is a clash that I personally have been very excited to watch. Liverpool vs Arsenal is the evening kick-off on Saturday, which will see two of the Premier League’s best attacking sides go head-to-head in a fixture which surely promises goals. You’d have to go back to 2012 for the last time Arsenal won at Anfield though, and given their clumsy defending at Selhurst Park last week, it seems Liverpool surrendering all three points is unlikely.

Other home teams that will be expecting a victory are also two potential candidates to lift the trophy in May. Champions Manchester City welcome Southampton to the Etihad Stadium in what looks almost guaranteed to be a good day for Pep Guardiola’s attackers, whilst Chelsea will face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Though The Eagles put in a resilient display against Arsenal last week, ‘Sarri-ball’ is now operating at a devastating capacity, so Stamford Bridge’s majority should be feeling very confident heading into this one.

Down on the south coast, there is a huge fixture waiting to be played out. Bournemouth, who are currently sat in 6th place, will take on Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. A win for Bournemouth would see them go into the top four – but should United come away with three points, they could well overtake Bournemouth (depending on goal difference) and re-enter the top six. It will be tough for Jose to do so though, because The Cherries haven’t lost at home since April 18th – when of all teams, they lost 2-0 to Manchester United.

A team that could well drive past United on their way down M6 are Brighton, who face the long journey to Everton. The Toffees haven’t lost at home yet this season, and considering Brighton have only won on the road once this calendar year (and that was against Newcastle, which is no great achievement at the moment), Marco Silva should be expecting his side to move up into 8th position.

For Newcastle themselves, their fortunes show little signs of changing, as Watford are their guests at St James’ Park this weekend. The Hornets were very impressive during their 2-0 win at Molineux last time out as they continued their remarkable start to the season, so Rafa Benitez may have to wait at least another week before he sees his side pick up their first win of the season. Also yet to win are Huddersfield – though for The Terriers, that could well be about to change. A home tie with Fulham, who have now conceded 28 goals in just 10 games, provides David Wagner’s men with an opportunity to finally score some much-needed goals and maybe, just maybe, get themselves a win.

Promoted alongside Fulham were Wolves, who are preparing for the kind of fixtures they dreamed about when in the Championship. Tottenham are their opponents this weekend and though they haven’t lost an away match since Mauro Icardi scored a late winner for Inter Milan in mid-Spetember, they have looked less than at their best of late. Potential returns for Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen could boost morale though, so Wolves will have to do well if they’re to replicate their 1-0 home win against Spurs in 2010.

Finally, there is an intriguing battle of claret and blue taking place in London this weekend, with West Ham hosting their clash with Burnley on Saturday. Sean Dyche’s last trip to Olympic Stadium was a hugely successful one, with his side running riot in a 3-0 win back in March, though West Ham’s major re-shuffle over the summer should ensure a repeat performance won’t take place. Burnley have only beaten The Hammers twice since 2011 – though both of those wins have come in away matches.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Well, my fellow TFG’ers, if that scintillating display of total football by Arsenal on Monday night hasn’t left you craving another dosage of Emery-ball, I don’t know what will. Arsene Wenger’s ugly ducklings have well and truly become Unai Emery’s swans and they produced a fantastic display against Leicester – though in our eyes, here at TFG HQ, it was far from best performance we saw over the past week.

Oh no, ladies and gentlemen, for we witnessed a duo operating at a level that was far beyond the reaches of Mesut Özil and Pierre-Aymeric Aubameyang – we saw the result-foreseeing telepathy of Walter Hodgson and Martyn Fisher operating at its magnificent full capacity.

The duo were the only players who predicted Brighton to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park last weekend, so they have earned themselves this week’s #PickOfTheWeek! Well done, lads!

For Martyn, that success was vital in seeing him hold onto third place in the TFG league table, but huge credit must also go to Maddy Camble – who is now the only player still yet to make an incorrect pick. The places around them, are occupied by the following players:

5th – dare2dream (Dewa Widya)

4th – Your Mam’s Athletic (Glen Bowman)

3rd – Cowboys From Hell (Martyn Fisher)

2nd – JOEBAKERSDOZENX1 – (Philip Taylor)

1st – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank

Now, onto the coming weekend’s events. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until Monday night to watch the headline fixture, but what a match it promises to be – Tottenham vs Manchester City is the MNF, with both sides being presented with the opportunity to go top of the table, should results go their way beforehand. Though Spurs have been sub-par in the Champions League so far, their recent domestic form has been excellent, having won all of their last four games. The same can be said of City, however, with their unbeaten start to the campaign putting them joint-top of the league. The Citizens won the corresponding fixtures last season by an aggregate score of 7-2 and after Spurs’ disheartening 2-2 with PSV mid-week, it looks likely that Guardiola’s men could add to that tally.

The match preceding that one is the 4pm kick-off on Sunday, which sees Manchester United take on Everton. United’s last two league games (against Newcastle and Chelsea) have shown there is still a tenacious side to Mourinho’s men, but Everton will be far from push-overs, having won their last three games. It is worth noting that the Toffees have only beaten United once in their last nine attempts, so backing the home side looks the more sensible choice.

A home win also looks likely for Liverpool, who welcome Cardiff to Anfield this Saturday, and for Watford, who will face Huddersfield at Vicarage road on the same day. However, if Fulham are to collect all three points from their home game, they’ll have to make serious improvements to a defence that has made one of the worst starts to a campaign in Premier League history. The Cottagers have conceded an appalling 25 goals in 9 matches and considering they face Bournemouth, a side who have scored as many goals as Liverpool this season, that could be far easier said than done.

Despite their defensive woes, Fulham still sit two places above lowly Newcastle in the table, who find themselves preparing for an important clash with fellow strugglers Southampton. Although The Saints haven’t won since the 1st September, that seems almost league-winning form compared to Newcastle, who haven’t won since way back in May. Southampton will draw further confidence from their recent record against The Magpies, because they haven’t lost a league match against Newcastle at St Mary’s, since 2004.

Further up the table, two of London’s biggest clubs both face potentially tricky away matches. Chelsea, who are in need of a win after falling behind in the title race, face a long trip up to Burnley – who will need to play better than they did in their 5-0 thrashing by Manchester City if they are to steal any points from Mauricio Sarri. Arsenal make the far shorter journey across London to Selhurst Park, but they will do so with great confidence. The Gunners have only lost to Palace twice in the last 39 years, and after their all-out attacking display on Monday, they seem good value for this week’s pick.

For their last opponents, Leicester, they welcome West Ham to the King Power Stadium. The Hammers are yet to start firing on all cylinders this season and unfortunately for their fans, Leicester looks unlikely to be the place they can start doing just that. Since The Foxes were promoted to the Premier League, they’ve only lost to West Ham twice – so perhaps Leicester could be a potential choice of yours. But should that not fill you with confidence, perhaps Wolves to beat Brighton may seem a little more likely. This is the first ever top-flight meeting between these two sides, but Wolves’ recent away form may see them take all three points from the Amex.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Murray, Mourinho and Mahrez… The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Panic not TFG’ers, we are just a matter of days away from being able to release ourselves from the rusty shackles that are the international break, and galloping at full speed into the glorious green fields of Premier League football once again. Game week 8 was awash with memorable moments, from Riyad Mahrez’s shocking penalty to Alexis Sanchez’ last-gasp winner, so there can be no doubt that the 9th instalment of this whirlwind 2018/19 season will be just as dramatic.

Not only should the last round of fixtures live long in the memory of Manchester United fans after their dramatic fightback, but it can also be fondly remembered by Nick Talbot and Anthony Frazer – who, because of their decision to pick Wolves to triumph over Crystal Palace away from home, have earned themselves TFG’s #PickOfTheWeek! Congratulations, lads!

Also, while there are three sides that are tied at the top of the Premier League, there are now just TWO players still yet to make an incorrect pick at the top of our league table. After a dramatic turn of events, the TFG rankings are as follows:

5th – Cowboys From Hell (Martyn Fisher)

4th – JOEBAKERSDOZENX1 (Philip Taylor)

3rd – Sad Ken (Stephen Cowell)

2nd – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank (Maddy Cowell)

1st – Brilliant City (Steve Anderson)

So, looking ahead to this weekend’s events, and there is one fixture in particular that catches the eye: Chelsea vs Manchester United. Based on league form, is the home side that should emerge victorious, given their six-place lead on the visitors – but it isn’t just the table that Blues fans can draw confidence from. Since their memorable 5-4 League Cup win over United in 2012, Chelsea have only lost to the Red Devils once in 15 matches. It will take a special Mourinho masterclass if United are to leave Stamford Bridge with anything other than nightmares of Eden Hazard, it seems.

Also on Saturday, is an intriguing London derby between West Ham, whose last three home matches have seen them beat Man United 3-1, Macclesfield 8-0 and draw 0-0 with Chelsea, and Tottenham, who have won four of their last five away matches and currently sit just two points off the top. The match promises to be a tightly-contested affair, so you may want to look elsewhere for this week’s pick.

A more secure choice could well be Manchester City, who are always good value when at home, though Burnley (the away side) did cause City some problems last time they visited the Etihad. Liverpool also appear to be a safe bet, as they are most weeks, but considering they face Huddersfield – one of three sides still yet to win a game – Klopp’s men look all but certain to come away with all three points here. Also worth a mention are Bournemouth, who are only four points off topping the table, ahead of their face-off against a Southampton side that haven’t won since the 1st of September and haven’t scored in their last three matches. Will it be yet another good weekend for Eddie Howe?

Cardiff are one of the other outfits yet to be successful in a league match this season, but a home match against fellow strugglers Fulham provides a genuine opportunity to change that. The Cottagers have conceded 12 goals in their last 4 Premier League games, so perhaps even Neil Warnock’s timid goalscoring options could fancy their chances in this one, though it certainly won’t come easy. Newcastle are the third and final team yet to take three points from a fixture this season, amidst their ongoing ownership protests, though a promising home tie with Brighton will certainly be seen as a must-win by the Toon Army. The home side will be buoyed by a good recent record against Brighton though, heaving earned two wins and a draw from their last four games.

Two of this season’s surprise packages go head-to-head at Molineux this weekend, as Wolves greet Watford for their 3pm kick-off on Saturday. It is the Midlands outfit that look strongest going into this one, considering Watford are without a win in four matches after their epic start to the season, and Wolves are coming off the back of a very respectable win at Selhurt Park. Everton would appear to be the favourites for their home game against Crystal Palace too, but just bear in mind the Toffees have been far from consistent at Goodison Park this season, and Crystal Palace have won three out of their last four way games in all competitions – so there is scope for a potential upset.

The weekend’s antics will come to an end on Monday night, when Arsenal take on Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have only lost once to Leicester since the turn of the century, though that defeat came in the last meeting between these two sides: a comfortable 3-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium in May. Arsenal are the in-from team in the league at the moment however, so I back Unai Emery’s men to get the job done in front of their own fans.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Forever Bursting Bubbles

Welcome back TFG’ers, and unless your name is José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, I’m sure you’ll be just as excited for another weekend of Premier League football as I am (and yes, that is the second time I’ve used that introduction this season, but the Man United jokes are far from finished).

Match week 7 was a vintage array of football, with 25 goals being scored across the 10 fixtures, which featured big wins for West Ham, Everton and Leicester, just to name a few. The latter, who impressively beat Newcastle 2-0 at St. James’ Park, picked up a crucial victory that was predicted by just one brainy TFG player, Russell Davies – who as a result, has been awarded up this week’s TFG #PickOfTheWeek! Congratulations, Russell!

Such a dramatic weekend of football has also taken its toll on our league table, with big changes taking place at the summit. Brilliant City, who were 1st heading into last weekend’s matches, have been overtaken by Dare2Dream, with the top four sides still yet to make an incorrect pick. The table is as follows:

5th – Ibe, You’ve Got That (Jonathan Owens)

4th – Colorado Spurs HW (Henry Winkler)

3rd – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank (Maddy Camble)

2nd – Brilliant City (Steve Sanderson)

1st – Dare2Dream (Dewa Widya)

Looking ahead to this weekend’s action, and yet again, a Liverpool match is the main event. They face Manchester City, in a top-of-the-table clash at Anfield. Not only did City infamously struggle at Anfield twice last season, travelling to the red half of Merseyside has been somewhat of a problem for the Cityzens ever since 2003 – which was the last time they left Liverpool with three points. The Red’s rousing conclusion to their match against Chelsea will definitely have boosted morale at the club, so picking Liverpool to win this match would certainly be sensible – if history is anything to go by, that is.

That match takes place at 4:30 on Sunday, and is preceded by another side enjoying life in the table’s upper echelons, Chelsea. They travel to Southampton, a side who has conceded 11 goals in 7 matches, which must have Eden Hazard licking his lips. The Belgian superstar is in inspired form of late, having scored 2 goals in 2 games against Liverpool over the last fortnight. Southampton have lost all of their last 7 games against Chelsea in all competitions, and I fancy the Blues to elongate that record, with Hazard at the forefront of their victory.

Two more London-based outfits are in action on Sunday as well, making this Super Sunday far more promising than a solo Cardiff v Burnley managed last week. Fulham welcome Arsenal to Craven Cottage for an exciting lunchtime contest, in which the visiting side will be looking to win their 8th match in a row. The Gunners made light work of this season’s surprise package, Watford, last weekend, whilst Fulham were thumped 3-0 by Everton. It has been almost five years since these two sides faced each other, with the last encounter ending in favour of Arsenal – just as I foresee this one finishing.

Onto Saturday then, and the matinee fixture is Manchester United vs Newcastle. Both sides have been in poor form of late, with both sets of fans very upset with the way their respective clubs are being run. Though United will still be feeling the after-effects of a tough Champions League tie against Valencia mid-week, it seems unlikely that Rafa Benitez could produce the kind of performance needed to topple Mourinho’s side at Old Trafford, given their calamitous start to the season.

A home victory for Tottenham also seems all but certain considering Cardiff are the opposition, with Burnley being another side who look likely to collect three points from their match at Turf Moor. Huddersfield are the visitors, who are on-par with Cardiff as arguably the worst team in the division at this moment in time. David Wagner’s side are still without a win this season and have the joint-worst defensive record in the league, so giving Sean Dyche’s men your pick for this week may well be profitable.

One of the weekend’s more intriguing fixtures, Leicester vs Everton, also takes place on Saturday, which is a particularly difficult one to predict. Goals can certainly be expected, but in terms of calling a result, it is Everton who have the better recent record from these two teams’ recent encounters, but a high-scoring draw may well be the outcome.

Watford vs Bournemouth is another match with big promise, considering the two sides are sat in 6th and 7th place after their very strong starts to the season. It is the home side however, that look most likely to be victorious, considering the Hornets have lost just once to Bournemouth in their last 14 matches. Bournemouth will be looking to put previous results behind them, but so will West Ham, who will be seeking revenge for the two defeats Brighton inflicted upon them last season. Manuel Pellegrini has finally got his side firing on all cylinders ahead of their trip to the south coast, and they look probable to win, considering the Seagulls haven’t won since their famous victory over Man United in August.

And last, but not least, we have Crystal Palace vs Wolves. Roy Hodgson’s men were let down by a moment of stupidity by Mamadou Sakho on Monday night, and what better way for the French centre-back to redeem himself than to rally his side to keeping a clean sheet. He’ll have to be at his best to do so mind, considering Wolves seem to improve by the week, and will travel to the outskirts of London looking to collect another three points – which could put them level with the top 4, depending on results.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

]]>24601GameWeek #7 Previewhttps://thatfootballgame.com/7-up/ Sat, 29 Sep 2018 13:01:11 +0000https://thatfootballgame.com/?p=24552Welcome back TFG’ers, to the 7th instalment of this exhilarating Premier League season. By this point, managers are beginning to formulate their strongest teams, players are becoming increasingly aware of their places in their respective squads, and the league table starts to bear some resemblance to the way in which it will be concluded, once May inevitably rolls around. More importantly though, with 31 picks still remaining for each and every one of you, how does the TFG league table look going into this weekend’s fixtures?

5th – Ibe, You’ve Got That (Johnathan Owens)

4th – Colorado Spurs HW (Henry Winkler)

3rd – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank (Maddy Camble)

2nd – dare2dream (Dewa Widya)

1st – Brilliant City (Steve Sanderson)

In typical TFG fashion, there have been changes at the summit once again, as the world’s most unpredictable competition begins separating the men from the boys. Just the top four teams are still yet to make an incorrect pick and are separated by goal difference alone, so making a correct selection is more important than ever. But before you make your pick this week, you may want to consult Matthew Turner, Dan Boldterson and Dewa Widya – as because they opted for Spurs to collect all three points from their tough away trip to Brighton, they have been awarded the TFG #PickOfTheWeek! Well done, guys!

Right then, onto this weekend. There is one stand-out fixture from the ten we have been gifted, which takes place on Saturday evening – Chelsea vs Liverpool. The Blues will face the Reds twice this week, once the Carabao Cup, but Sarri’s men will have to improve on their last performance (a 0-0 draw with West Ham) if they are to take anything away from the Merseyside outfit, who have won their last 7 games. Liverpool do have a poor recent record against Chelsea however, having only won 2 of their last 14 matches against them in all competitions, so to come away from Stamford Bridge with a win will take some doing.

The other televised match on Saturday is West Ham vs Man United. The Hammers are finally starting the reap the rewards of their heavy investment this summer, after an impressive 3-1 win at Everton, followed by a hard-earned 0-0 draw with Chelsea last weekend. It will take a similar performance if they are to get a result out of this match though, considering that following United’s ‘crisis’, Mourinho’s side have won 3 out of the 4 matches they’ve played, scoring 8 goals. Another draw seems to be the order of the day at the Olympic Stadium.

Over in North London, there is another hard-to-call encounter taking place. Arsenal, who ahead of their mid-week tie with Brentford, could well have won their last 6 matches in a row by the time they face Watford – who themselves, are this seasons’s surprise package. The Hornets are still yet to lose an away game this season, so Unai Emery’s side (who despite their recent form, are yet to find their best) certainly face a stern test.

As for Arsenal’s arch-rivals, Spurs, they have an easier-looking contest to look forward to. They travel to Huddersfield to face a Terrier’s side who look seriously threatened by relegation this season, considering they have only scored 3 times in the league this season and are yet to win. If Huddersfield do, somehow, pick up a remarkable win this weekend, it would be the first time they have beaten Spurs since 1956 – so I think the favourites are pretty clear going into this one.

Also going into their match this weekend expected to win, as per usual, are Man City. They welcome Brighton to the Etihad Stadium, with Chris Houghton’s Glenn Murray-lead side still yet to win since their memorable triumph over Man United, well over a month ago. City however, have scored 11 goals in their last three domestic matches and haven’t lost a league match since April. Need I say any more?

Meanwhile, City’s last victims, Cardiff, will look to bounce back from their 5-0 defeat in that game in the least-super Super Sunday match in history, against Burnley. Amazingly, this match may end up being even more dreary than it appears to be, when you consider the fact that 10 of the last 12 meetings between these two sides have ended in a draw. The less said about this encounter, the better.

Sat just one place above Burnley, in the table, are Fulham. The Cottagers are winless in their last three games vs Watford, Man City and Brighton and unfortunately for fans of the newly-promoted side, that looks unlikely to change. They face a tough away trip to Goodison Park to play Everton – a side they haven’t beaten away from home since 1975. It seems likely that the three points will be staying in Merseyside, then.

Victory also seems to be the order of the day for Wolves, who face Southampton at home, and for Leicester, who also face a struggling Newcastle at St James’ Park. The final match of the weekend, Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace, however, is far harder to predict. Since 2015, these two sides have faced each other six times and both have managed just one win each, with the other four games ending in a draw. Neither side is in particularly good form either – Bournemouth come into this one having just lost 4-0 to Burnley, whilst Crystal Palace drew 0-0 with Newcastle last time out. This one, is truly anyone’s to call.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Cherries Picking!

Welcome, TFG’ers, to another preview of what is sure to be an exhilarating weekend of Premier League football. Game week #5 was certainly one to be remembered for fans of clubs like Bournemouth, Liverpool and Chelsea, but probably less so for supporters of Burnley, Cardiff and Everton. West Ham are finally off the mark, whilst Watford were brought back down to earth by a sturdy Manchester United. But before we predict the fortunes of those very teams for this weekend, it’s time to reveal the TFG #PickOfTheWeek!

When it came to deciding this week’s winner, it was a tough call. There must be credit given to Sandra Ades, Roland Marshman and Paul Baker, who all predicted Bournemouth would beat Leicester at home, as well as Marc Reid and John Semmer, who were the only two players to forsee Man United’s victory over Watford, but this week’s overall joint winners are Michelle Spalding and Arthur Davies. It was a tough call, but seeing as this dynamic duo called Crystal Palace’s hard-earned three points at Huddersfield, they are this week’s winners. Congratulations!

In terms of the TFG league table, there have been some big changes at the top following the last game week’s antics. There are five players still yet to make an incorrect pick, and they are separated by goal difference alone. They stand, as follows:

5th – Colorado Spurs HW (Henry Winkler)

4th – Jimmy Floyd’s Piggy Bank (Maddy Camble)

3rd – Brilliant City (Steve Sanderson)

2nd – Dare2dream (Dewa Widya)

1st – Your Mam’s Athletic (Gary Bowman)

Looking ahead to this weekend then, and there is no real stand-out fixture. Sunday’s final fixture, Arsenal vs Everton is probably the biggest clash available to us, which looks set to end in favour of the home team. Everton have only beaten Arsenal once in their last nine attempts and considering how poor they were against West Ham, it will certainly have to be a remarkable Toffees performance if they are to get anything out of this one – though they will be boosted by the return of their Brazilian starlet, Richarlison.

The match preceding that one involves two more London-based clubs, West Ham and Chelsea. Now although this fixture’s outcome would appear to be clear, West Ham’s recent form against Chelsea is remarkable. They have won 3 out of their last 4 matches against the Blues on home soil, so Mauricio Sarri’s men should avoid underestimating the Hammers, especially considering their 100% start.

The other side to have maximum points is Liverpool, who have the welcomed task of beating Southampton at home. This will come as a relief for Jürgen Klopp, who after facing PSG in mid-week, could well do with a Saturday-Afternoon stroll. The corresponding fixture last season ended 3-0, and I reckon this one will follow suit as well.

The Saint’s last match, against Brighton, left both sides with many areas for improvement. The Seagulls will look to improve on their performance in that game against a Spurs side who will be traveling to the south coast after their mid-week visit to Milan. Pochettino’s men won’t find it easy at the Amex, but I wouldn’t put your pick in the hands of Chris Houghton just yet.

Over in Wales however, it is a big weekend for fans of Cardiff City. Champions Manchester City are coming to town on Saturday, just nine months after their last visit. Cardiff lost 2-0 in that mid-season FA Cup match and it is is reasonable to expect something similar when the two sides meet again. Although Cardiff put up a valiant showing in their last home match against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s men should have enough quality to get themselves through unscathed.

For the red side of Manchester, there is a very interesting home clash with Wolves to look forward to. The Wolves are probably the most exciting of all the new arrivals into the Premier League this year, and have already taken points off of Manchester City, though the last time the West Midlands outfit took three points away from Old Trafford was 1980 – so the onus is still on Mourinho to pick up two wins in a row.

Across in the East Midlands though, and there is a real chance for Leicester to pick up their third win of the season. Huddersfield are the opposition, and with the Terriers currently sat in the relegation zone after their disappointing 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, it should be a comfortable afternoon for the Foxes. Palace on the other hand, is the destination for a 600 mile-round trip that Newcastle fans will make in hope of seeing their side earn their first win of the season. The Magpies have a remarkable record against Crystal Palace however, having only lost once to the Eagles in almost 20 years – which will surely give Rafa Benitez some much-needed confidence.

Also in London this weekend is the first showcase available to us, Fulham vs Watford. After Javi Gracia’s 100% start came to an end against Manchester United last weekend, a trip to Craven Cottage provides a genuine chance to regain some of their winning ways. Fulham have been a picture of inconsistency this season, so this match’s outcome depends on what kind of performance the Whites can put out. Watford haven’t lost to Fulham in the league since 2001, so Slavisa Jokanovic really does have his work cut out if he is to get a result in this one.

The next fixture for struggling Burnley is a visit from Bournemouth, a side who impressed in their 4-2 win over Leicester. Ryan Fraser has been in inspired form so far this campaign and a tired-looking Clarets defence could well provide an opportunity to continue a string of good performances. Backing Burnley to finally find their feet wouldn’t be the worst decision mind you, as they have only lost twice to the Cherries in their last ten matches, but this one is a genuine six-pointer.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

After a somewhat dreary end to England’s first international break of the season, you will all be happy to hear that we return to a mouth-watering set of Premier League fixtures this weekend. As always though, before we look ahead to Saturday and Sunday’s events, it is time to award the TFG #PickOfTheWeek! For #GW4, considering they were the only two individuals to bravely foresee Liverpool taking three points away from the King Power Stadium, the award is to be shared between Kathryn Drew and Gemma Lindsay. Congratulations!

Also, now that the TFG league table is starting to take shape, we will now be providing weekly updates as to who are the front runners to take home this season’s grand prize – a football shirt of your choice and a TFG goodie bag! So exciting right? Especially given how well we did at distributing last season’s prizes.

So far, there are eight players who have maintained a 100% record, but the top four, in ascending order, is as follows:

4th – Alexander Smith

3rd – Dewa Widya

2nd – Glen Bowman

1st – Fred Barasi

With the first eight places only separated by goal difference, the league standings look sure to change after this game week, so who will you choose to be your fifth pick of the season?

The first match this weekend is also the biggest, with Spurs taking on Liverpool at Wembley, in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. The away side are one of only 3 sides yet to drop a point so far this season, but they do have a poor recent away record against Tottenham. Not only did they lose 4-1 in this corresponding fixture last season, but that defeat elongated their four year-long stretch without a win in this match. Another win for Spurs would provide redemption for them, in front of their own fans, after their disappointing showing last time out against this season’s surprise package, Watford.

The Hornets themselves have another tough fixture to prepare for, but after last week’s rousing 2-1 home win, they will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season against an inconsistent Manchester United. Though United have had troubles on this ground in recent years (namely a 3-1 defeat, two seasons ago), that became the only time the Red Devils have failed to beat Watford since 1986. Mourinho will have one eye on their Champions League opener against Young Boys mid-week however, so Javi Gracia’s men will certainly sense an opportunity to cause yet another upset.

Though both of these games are difficult to predict, there are matches involving two of the newly-promoted sides that seem a little easier to call. The first will see Fulham, who went into the international break having just let a 2-0 lead slip away at Brighton, visiting the champions, Manchester City. The Sky Blues have predictably scored the most goals in the league so far, whilst Fulham have the second-worst defensive record, so this match looks to be nothing but one-way traffic. The second will see Cardiff, who scored their first goals since April in their match against Arsenal, take on final side to have registered a maximum 12 points – Chelsea. It has been 38 years since the Welsh side last beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, so I wouldn’t expect Neil Warnock to pick up his first three points of the season just yet.

However, there is a win available to the final set of new boys this season, with Wolves welcoming a struggling Burnley, to Molineux. Sean Dyche’s men have taken just 1 point from their first four matches amidst their failed Europa League qualifying campaign, so Wolves will be looking to use the momentum gained from their last-gasp winner away to West Ham, to get a first home win since their return to the Premier League.

Speaking of the Hammers, they will be hoping their fortunes change ahead of a tough-looking visit to Everton. The Toffees will still be without the suspended Richarlison, whose absence goes some way to explaining their lack-lustre 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, before the international break. Could Manuel Pellegrini collect his first points of the season, perhaps?

A team who will be hoping that ‘no’ is the eventual answer to that question is Newcastle, whose lack of summer investment is certainly coming back to haunt them. They are sat in a lowly 18th place ahead of their tie with Arsenal – a team who they have beaten just once in their last 14 attempts. Two teams that are also in desperate need of a result are Huddersfield and Crystal Palace, who go head-to-head on Saturday. The Eagles, who will be boosted by the return of Wilfried Zaha, have won two-in-a-row against Huddersfield – so they would be my choice to come out of this one as victors.

Bournemouth vs Leicester is another intriguing clash, with both sides having made strong starts to the season. They are sat in 6th and 8th respectively, but the Cherries have only managed to beat Leicester once since their dream promotion to the Premier League four seasons ago, so the Foxes could well edge this one, if recent form is anything to go by.

Finally, Southampton take on Brighton in the televised MNF fixture. The two teams contesting this south-coast derby will both be buoyed by good performances in their last match, but these sides have already played each other this season – with Mark Hughes’ side getting the better of Chris Houghton’s in the League Cup at the end of August. Unfortunately for the neutrals however, a 1-1 draw has been the outcome on the two occasions these sides have met in the Premier League, so I can’t see this one being a classic.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Spurred On

Welcome TFG’ers, to the preview of September 2018’s first Premier League match week. The opening month of August is now a thing of the past, but it’s final MNF swan song certainly captured the essence of what has been a frantic start to the thrilling new campaign.

Tottenham’s spectacular win at Old Trafford was undoubtably one of the games of the season so far, with Lucas Moura’s Thierry Henry-esque final goal leaving us eagerly anticipating another dosage of Premier League football. But before we look into the forthcoming round of fixtures, it is time for the presentation of the most prestigious weekly award in world football – The TFG #PickOfTheWeek!

For Match Week #3, our TFG #PickOfTheWeek goes to Russell Davies, who was the only player to correctly foresee Mauricio Pochettino’s men taking all three points away from Old Trafford. Congratulations!

So, the standout fixture this coming weekend is the televised early kick-off on Saturday, between Leicester City and Liverpool. Though the away side appear to be heavy favourites, it may be worth bearing in mind that Leicester have won three out of their last four matches against Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. A potential upset on the cards, perhaps?

Also hoping to cause a shock will be Bournemouth, who travel to Stamford Bridge for the first time since their iconic 3-0 demolition of Chelsea last January. Before that however, Chelsea had only failed to win against Bournemouth twice in their entire history, so backing Sarri’s men to continue their winning ways seems sensible. Obviously, Man City are another team who seem typically guaranteed to pick up a win, considering they face-off against a stuttering Newcastle United at home – a side they haven’t lost a Premier League match to in 13 years.

Selecting Everton to beat lowly Huddersfield also seems solid, though the Toffees will be without Brazilian starlet Richarlison due to suspension. Even so, The Terriers haven’t gotten the better of the Merseyside outfit since 1956, so the three points would appear to be staying at Goodison Park, regardless.

Crystal Palace v Southampton may be one to avoid, with Palace’s inconsistency, combined with a recent run of poor form against the Saints, meaning Mark Hughes’ men could potentially earn a rare point or three on Saturday. Wolves are the stronger out of themselves and West Ham in terms of league form, though the Hammers did produce a good performance in the cup mid-week, so there is a genuine chance to gain momentum at home for them as well in this intriguing clash.

Watford could well provide sterner opposition for Tottenham than Manchester United did, as the Hornets, along with Spurs, have maximum points so far this season. This is Watford’s biggest test yet however, and beating Tottenham seems a step too far for Javi Gracia’s plucky side. Manchester United themselves are in a “crisis” ahead of a trip to Europa League-minded Burnley, though Mourinho’s men should come unstuck in this match, given the home side’s poor league form this season (‘should’ is the key word in that sentence).

The fact that Cardiff haven’t scored since April means that even for Arsenal and their shakiest of defences, they should leave Wales with all three points in their match at 3pm on Saturday. Kicking off at the same time, finally, is Brighton vs Fulham. Both sides have been plagued by inconsistency during their respective openings, with each team producing some exhilarating football at points. This is a genuine ‘six-pointer’ for sure.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

Well, TFG’ers, it’s that time again. GameWeek #2 has been and gone, blessing our weekend with an incredible round of intoxicating Premier League football in the process. It was full of all the usual antics – and unless your name is Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix, I’m sure you’ll be just as excited as I am to watch the next collection of Premier League fixtures unfold.

But before we preview the coming weekend’s matches, a special #TFG congratulations is in order. It goes to this week’s #pickoftheweek winner Roland Marshman, who was the only player to go with Brighton to beat Manchester United. Another well done is in order for Isla Shaw, who also was alone in bravely selecting Watford to beat Burnley at Turf Moor. Congratulations!

So then, onto GameWeek #3. The weekend’s opening encounter is set to be Wolves vs Man City, at Molineux. Unsurprisingly, Guardiola’s men go into this one as strong favourites, after a very strong start to the season that has seen them score eight goals in two matches against Arsenal and Huddersfield. It is worth bearing in mind however, that Wolves were one of the first teams to stop Man City winning a match last season, when they held them to a frustrating 0-0 draw in an early Carabao Cup tie at the Etihad Stadium.

Saturday will also see two of the sides yet to register a single point so far this season go head-to-head in a London derby. Arsenal vs West Ham is an intriguing 3 o’clock kick-off, though the stats point to a comfortable afternoon for Unai Emery’s men, as Arsenal have only lost one of their last 22 matches against West Ham in all competitions. In a similarly interesting fixture, Bournemouth will face Everton at the same time, with the sides currently sat 5th and 6th in the table respectively. Each team collected a 2-1 home victory in the corresponding two fixtures last season – so this particular tie may be one to avoid – and so is Crystal Palace vs Watford, which could very easily go either way as well.

One of the safest choices from this round of fixtures could well be Fulham, who like Arsenal and West ham, are yet to pick up a point. They face Burnley at Craven Cottage, with Sean Dyche’s men predictably struggling for form amidst their Europa League qualifying campaign. The Clarets have drawn 0-0 with Southampton and lost 3-1 at home to Watford so far this season, so Fulham will be confident of registering their first Premier League win since 2014 after causing problems for Spurs at Wembley last time out.

Another strong-looking choice would be Liverpool, who face Brighton, at Anfield. The Reds have scored an impressive 15 goals in their last three games against the seagulls, who despite getting the better of a feeble Man United last weekend, look likely to be brought back down to Earth by the irresistible Merseyside outfit. Speaking of Man United, they will be looking for instant redemption from their face-off with Spurs on Monday night. Jose Mourinho will draw some confidence from a strong home record vs Tottenham, though it certainly won’t be easy this time around.

Alternatively, there is a real six-pointer taking place in West Yorkshire, with Huddersfield taking on Cardiff in a fixture which could be rather decisive come the end of the season. Of the two sides, it is arguably Cardiff who should be the more confident ahead of their away trip, given that they are unbeaten in their last nine matches against Huddersfield, who themselves, have just come off the back of a 6-1 humiliation by Manchester City.

There could also be away successes this weekend for Leicester City and Chelsea. The foxes, who are traveling down to a play rather uninspiring Southampton, will look to build on their impressive 2-0 win against Wolves last Saturday. Chelsea’s faithful, however, will be hoping that their long drive up to Newcastle will prove to be more worthwhile than it was last season, where they saw their side comfortably beaten 3-0 by the Magpies in a memorable afternoon on Tyneside. Given that the home side recently played out an unremarkable 0-0 draw with Cardiff, and the blues have just beaten rivals Arsenal in a 3-2 thriller at home, it seems history looks unlikely to repeat itself.

As always however, whoever your pick may be this weekend, we here at TFG HQ wish you the very best of luck.

So, the Premier League is well and truly back. The first match week was typically full of the much-loved controversy and drama that makes England’s elite tier the undisputed best of its kind. From Jagielka’s debatable sending off to Jorginho and Pogba’s incredible penalties, Ruben Neves’ stunner to Sadio Mane’s brace, the opening weekend had the lot. But what will Gameweek #2 bring?

So for the clever TFG’ers amongst you that correctly picked a winning team the first time around, the question now is who will be be your next choice to further cement your newfound footballing genius? And for those of you that weren’t so successful, you are now playing catch-up – so choose wisely!

There appear to be two very safe options, on paper, this weekend: Spurs, who play Fulham at home, and Man City, who are also at home, against Huddersfield. Fulham have only won two of their last 15 matches against Spurs in all competitions – a run stretching back to 2008 – and with Crystal Palace having comfortably beaten them 2-0 in their first game back in the Premier League, Spurs would appear to be a solid selection going into this one. The last time Manchester City lost to Huddersfield was way back in1998, which tells you all you need to know about that particular fixture.

The headline fixture this weekend, however, is a mouth-watering London derby – Chelsea vs Arsenal. Chelsea have been the been the victors in the last 4 encounters at Stamford Bridge between these two sides, so I would back Mauricio Sarri’s side to build upon their 3-0 success at Huddersfield with a home win, if I were to choose between the two.

Statistically, predicting Newcastle to win away at Cardiff would also be sensible (considering The Bluebirds have only beaten Newcastle twice since 1979), but seeing as it is Cardiff’s first Premier League home game since their relegation from the top division in 2014, the occasion could rally Neil Warnock’s troops into getting a result out of this game. Calling Liverpool to beat Crystal Palace also seems likely, but be wary of the fact that The Reds have not had it easy against Palace in recent years: they’ve only won one of the last seven Premier League encounters by one or more goal, with The Eagles winning three of those. Somewhat of a bogey team, perhaps?

The two teams that opened this year’s Premier League season with a grand showcase at Old Trafford – Manchester United and Leicester City – were both very impressive in that match, so the former seems good value to beat Brighton on the south coast, whilst the latter will be hoping to get the better of new boys Wolves, in their first game back at the KingPower Stadium this campaign.

The other games this weekend are Burnley vs Watford and West Ham vs Bournemouth. The Hammers will be looking to impress a home crowd after an anticlimactic showing at Anfield last weekend, whilst Burnley will also be looking to improve after they provided the only 0-0 of the first match week in their clash with Southampton – who travel to a Richarlison-inspired Everton, who also look on the money to collect a win this weekend.

As always, whatever your choice may be, all at #TFGHQ wish you the best of luck.